Adorable
by Nice-one
Summary: A one chapter sequel to 'Lockdown'. Mostly Delena fluff as they try to figure out how to be in a relationship with each other. Just a little closure for those who weren't entirely satisfied with the ending to 'Lockdown'.


**Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries. Unfortunately. If I wrote for them, there'd be a whole lot more Delena scenes on the show. And they'd be naked. All the time. Just saying.**

**Summary: A one chapter sequel to 'Lockdown'. Mostly Delena fluff as they try to figure out how to be in a relationship with each other. Just a little closure for those who weren't entirely satisfied with the ending to 'Lockdown'. **

**A/N: Okay, so a lot of the people who left a review on the final chapter of 'Lockdown' expressed their wish for one final chapter with a little more closure, especially in the Stefan-area. I didn't necessarily agree, since I felt pretty content with the way I ended things, but I understand where they're coming from. So this is that final chapter of**** 'Lockdown', but just not as an official chapter of 'Lockdown'. You still with me? Haha. I felt that 'Lockdown' should just be about Damon and Elena being locked up and finding their way out and not about anything else and nothing about anything that happened later. So that's why I chose to post this as a separate story, but it really is just a one chapter sequel to 'Lockdown.' If you were completely satisfied with the ending of that story, you might not want to read this. Although it's mostly just Delena fluff with a serious undertone and a little more explanation of what happened after the spell was lifted, so you might enjoy it anyway. I didn't literally include the conversation with Stefan, but this provides a little more information. Anyway, hopefully this does satisfy every single reader of the story with the name I've already mentioned a hundred times now. Please let me know. I know I shouldn't even bother trying, since you can't please everybody, but I just love writing and had to give it a shot. ;-)**

**This was a tough one to write, since I have no idea what Damon would be like when he finally gets with Elena (and I say 'when', because I'm convinced it'll happen), but this is my take on it. I hope you like it.**

-x-x-x-x-

**Adorable**

Elena investigated herself in the mirror. Her hand went up to her hair as she gently brushed through it and watched how the strands slowly fell back in place. She sighed, her hand now on her neck, the cold silver of her necklace suddenly giving her chills as it occurred to her that when it came to appearance, that necklace was the one difference between her and Katherine. Her eyes, her smile, the shape of her eyebrows, the little creases around her eyes, even her hair if she worked the curling iron long enough; everything was identical. She swallowed as she met her own stare through the mirror, desperately holding on to the belief that the similarities stopped on the outside. That's what she'd been telling herself all this time, what Stefan had told her all this time. But not Damon. His words, even though it felt like he spoke them centuries ago, still echoed in her head. _You and Katherine have a lot more in common than just your looks. _She closed her eyes.

She tried to tell herself that he'd felt hurt and betrayed at the time he spoke those words and that so much had happened since, but after the events of this morning she found herself slowly starting to doubt her once upon a time non-wavering conviction that she and Katherine were nothing alike. She vividly recalled the expression of pure heartbreak that had decorated Stefan's face at her confession, even though she had a hard time remembering the exact words she'd used to explain it to him. She and Damon had decided to tell him together, but Elena changed her mind and went over there by herself early in the morning, knowing this was something she had to do on her own. She owed Stefan that much. The rest of the day she'd spent in bed, going over the recent events and everything that happened because of it. At one point the guilt just felt like too much to bear, causing her to bury herself deep underneath the covers, ready to just stay like that forever. However, eventually she had to conclude that she'd done the right thing. She followed her heart and as difficult as that was, she knew that Stefan deserved better and that while it didn't necessarily feel like it right now, he was better off knowing the truth than living a lie. It was too late for Elena to take anything back even if she wanted to and though the conversation with Stefan this morning had probably been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do in her life, she knew it was only fair. If she loved him, she had to set him free.

And here she was, in her bedroom, all by herself, trying to come up with that one thing, that one element, that set her apart from Katherine and she was coming up empty handed. Been with both of the Salvatore brothers? Check. Hurt both of the Salvatore brothers? Check. Been with one Salvatore while also involved with the other? Check. At one moment or another felt flattered by the attention of both of the Salvatore brothers? Reluctant check. There was no point in denying that last one anymore. She'd always known how Damon felt about her and saying that she never felt good about it or subconsciously felt tempted because of it would be a flat-out lie. So there. Here she was. Katherine 2.0. New and improved. Sure, she was missing the attitude and the killer heels, but Elena was well aware that a little more practice in front of the mirror and a trip to the shoe store were the last two things she needed to complete the transformation. It made her sick to her stomach. When did all of this happen?

"Elena!" Jenna's voice echoed through the house and she instantly sensed the annoyance in her aunt's voice.

She walked up to her bedroom door and opened it slightly.

"Yeah?"

"You have company."

The tone of Jenna's voice made it pretty clear who'd be waiting for her downstairs. Nobody else was able to get that kind of reaction out of her aunt. Elena took a deep breath then forced her head high as she exited her room and started to make her way down the stairs. There he was, still out on the porch, in the doorway. She'd seen him this morning, but after today that felt so long ago. His piercing blue eyes were focused on her as she reached the bottom step and she hesitated one second before placing the first foot on the dark carpet of the hallway, the other following effortlessly.

"Hey." She spoke, looking at him, smiling.

"Hey."

Jenna cleared her throat, not oblivious to the obvious tension. "I'll be upstairs, pretending I'm not at all confused by Damon being here to see you."

With that her aunt walked up the stairs, leaving the two on their own once again. As if they hadn't been alone enough this past week. Elena turned to him, frowning, but also smiling at the question she was about to ask.

"You rang the doorbell? Since when do you ever come in through the front door?"

"Nice change of pace." Damon shrugged, carefully taking a step forward and looking at her.

Elena saw the ways his hands were in his pockets and how his eyes never fully met hers and above all how there was a fundamental change in his basic behavior.

"You look nervous." She stated. "I've never seen you nervous."

"I don't think I've ever _been_ nervous in the last 145 years." He admitted. "I'm not sure I like it."

Elena looked down at his confession, hiding her smile. "It's kind of adorable."

"Don't ever say that again. I have fangs. Fangs and adorable just don't go together."

"Got it." She nodded, now also getting a little uncomfortable as the awkwardness kicked in.

"I ran into Stefan earlier." He suddenly changed the subject.

Her head shot up at him. "I'm sorry. I know we said…"

"It's okay. I get it."

"How was he?"

"Angry. Sad. Hard to tell, really. I figured the fact he didn't drive a stake through my heart was an upside. Means he took it better than I thought he would."

"It was horrible, Damon." Elena confessed, giving him a desperate look. "I never thought I'd ever have to hurt him like that."

"He left, Elena." The elder Salvatore then blurted. "Said he needed to be alone for a while."

She closed her eyes as she took those words in, then walking backwards and seating herself on the bottom step, looking up at Damon again. It wasn't that she hadn't expected this, but it didn't make her feel any better.

"I'm sorry." Damon offered. "And I understand."

"Understand what?" She frowned.

"Everything."

It started to dawn on her what he meant as she got to her feet and took a few steps forward towards him.

"You think that I went through all of this today just to tell you that I need more time or that I'm not sure anymore?" She asked, this time desperately searching for eye-contact.

Damon sighed, turning his head away from her. "I don't know. I don't know how to do this, Elena. I'm so far out of my comfort zone right now. I don't even know what I'm doing here or what I'm supposed to do. Or what we're doing. I came in through the front door for God's sake! Every instinct in my body is just telling me to act like a jerk and pretend not to care. I don't do this, Elena."

"Do what?" She asked, frowning.

"I don't know. Be vulnerable?" He sighed, leaning against the doorpost in an effort to feel a little more comfortable.

She smiled at his words, knowing what a huge step this was for him. She closed the gap between them by taking one last step forward and placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"You're doing fine so far." She assured him, patting him softly on the cheek. "And I'm sorry, but it really is totally adorable."

"Okay. Do you _want _me to bite you or something?"

Elena tilted her head a little as a teasing smile appeared on her face. "If you pick your moment right."

Damon immediately put his lips to hers again as he hungrily kissed her, only focusing on her mouth for a second, before moving to her neck and roughly kissing her there. She chuckled as she pushed him away.

"And this is not it!" She laughed.

"I know, but this is definitely putting me back in my comfort zone." He smirked.

"Glad I could be of service." She smiled, stepping back again and taking a glance at the living room. "You want to come inside for a second?"

"With Jenna in the house?" Damon frowned.

"Well, she's going to have to get used to the fact you're going to be around a lot more." Elena shrugged. "And truth is that I don't really know what we're doing here either. I mean, I know you're not the type of guy to come over and watch movies on the couch with…"

"I could be that guy." He interrupted her, giving her a look. "Maybe. I don't know. I've never tried it."

"We'll ease into it." Elena decided. "First step is you coming inside and have a drink with me."

She reached out to his hand and pulled him with her towards the living room, giving him just enough time to close the front door behind him with his free hand.

"Officially out of my comfort zone right now." Damon announced to no one in particular.

"You do know that every time you say the word comfort zone I'm going to tell you you're adorable, right?" She replied, looking over her shoulder.

"And you do know that I'm a vampire and don't really need to 'pick my moment right' if I want to bite you, right?" He instantly shot back, raising an eyebrow and giving her a look while smirking.

"I'm not impressed." Elena shrugged as they reached the couch and she let go of his hand, only to gently push him down on the couch. "Now, what can I get you to drink?"

"I don't suppose you have a nice Bourbon laying around?" He asked, looking at her innocently and obviously amused by the look Elena returned. "I'll take that as a no. A soda? Is that the answer you wanted to hear?"

"It is." She smiled. "You're a quick learner."

"Ugh." Damon groaned, shutting his eyes for a second. "Look at me. I'm already _whipped_."

Elena shook her head as she turned around and wanted to head for the kitchen. Just then Jenna appeared in the doorway.

"Elena…"

She stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Damon on the couch.

"Damon! I hoped you'd left. Thought! I mean, _thought_ you'd left!" Jenna stuttered and nobody in the room could be sure if it really had been an honest slip of the tongue or something a little more on purpose. Jenna was very talented when it came to things like that.

"Ah, don't sweet talk me, Jenna." Damon smirked, leaning his elbow on the couch and throwing her a look.

Jenna returned the sarcastic stare, before focusing on Elena again. "Jeremy just called that he won't be home for dinner. I was going to order in some Chinese food. You in?"

"Absolutely." Elena smiled.

Jenna seemed to hesitate for a second, before turning back to Damon and taking a deep breath, placing one hand on her hip. "Will you be joining us for dinner, Damon?"

"How badly do you want me to say no right now? Honestly."

"Pretty badly." Jenna admitted, nodding. "And just for that you're going to say yes, aren't you?"

"It's like you _know_ me." Damon smiled innocently.

"Okay. Chinese food for three. I'm on it." Jenna sighed, trying to remain enthusiastic.

"Thank you, Jenna." He then spoke sincerely. "Appreciate the invite."

"You're welcome." She nodded suspiciously at his genuine tone, before turning back to Elena. "I'll order the food and then I'll be upstairs doing laundry."

Elena nodded and Jenna smiled before walking into the kitchen.

Damon's gaze went to Elena who was still standing near the couch, an amused look on her face.

"What?" He asked, feigning annoyance.

"You're really trying." She stated, walking back over to him, her smile growing wider. She placed one knee on the couch and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'd almost call you adorable again."

Damon was about to object, but Elena cut him off with a kiss. It wasn't a passionate or spectacular kiss that made fireworks go off, but it was sweet and gentle and serious. Elena wasn't sure if Jenna was still in the kitchen and therefore able to see them or if she'd already gone upstairs, but she really didn't care. Damon wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her onto his lap, causing Elena to shriek, but then wrap her arms around his neck, making herself comfortable.

"So far so good." She smiled.

"We're really going to do this, aren't we?" Damon asked.

"That's the plan. Unless you're having second thoughts."

He kissed her again. It was short and sweet. "Nope. But I do want to point out that this has disaster written all over it."

"It really does, doesn't it? People are _not _going to be okay with this." Elena sighed.

"Who cares. I don't give a damn about what people think."

"Then why does it have disaster written all over it?"

"Have you met me?" Damon shrugged. "You know I'll screw it up."

"No, you won't." Elena objected, still smiling. "You love me way too much."

Damon took a deep breath as he stared at the brunette sitting on his lap. "It's sad that you know that."

His voice was barely above a whisper, but Elena was close enough to hear it. She gently started to stroke his cheek. "I know it's scary as hell. For the both of us. But we're going to try, okay?"

"Does try mean having to come over on a weekly basis and have dinner here with you and the fam?" Damon asked sarcastically, that familiar smirk on his face.

"Possibly." Elena nodded. "And it also means you're going to lie and pretend to enjoy every second of it."

"This relationship-thing is hard work." He complained, his hands moving to her back as he lifted up her shirt and started to trace little circles on her bare lower back with his thumb.

"It's not too late to change your mind." She teased, raising her eyebrows.

Damon groaned, closing his eyes for just a second. "Yes, it is. Damn it."

Elena chuckled softly, her hand going to the back of his neck as she started to stroke his hair. Their eyes were locked and her smile quickly disappeared as the moment allowed her to remember her worries and troubles.

"What's wrong?" He almost instantly asked.

"Nothing." She tried to smile.

"Don't lie."

Elena sighed, hesitating for a second before taking her hands back and releasing herself from his embrace, dropping herself on the couch again.

"Am I just like Katherine?" She then asked, not looking at him.

Damon shifted in his seat. "Can we call her 'she who shall not be named' from now on? Hearing the bitch's name pisses me off."

"I'm serious, Damon."

He sighed, before turning to her, the action causing Elena to look up.

"Why would you ever think that you're anything like her?" He asked. "I mean, other than the fact that looking at her will probably make you feel like you're looking into a mirror?"

"Not helping." She told him. "And you're the one who said that Katherine and I have a lot more in common than our looks."

"Yes. And I said that when I was pissed off at you for rejecting me and manipulating me before cutting me out of your life. It was supposed to be an insult. It doesn't hold any truth."

"Great. You're right. I manipulated you. _Just_ like Katherine." Elena stated, crossing her arms and leaning back into the couch. "And the list doesn't end there. Her actions and my actions have a lot of similarities. Especially when it comes to you and Stefan."

"Katherine is a full-time bitch, okay? The Queen Bitch of Bitchville. And you're not. Well, you can be bitchy sometimes, but…"

Elena sat up and turned to Damon, hitting him on the arm. "Is that what you came up with to make me feel better? You can't do it either, can you? You can't think of one single thing that sets me apart and makes me a better person than Katherine."

"I can think of a million things!" Damon objected.

"Name one!" She dared him, looking him straight in the eye.

Damon turned to her, taking her hands in his. "You're compassionate, Elena. You care. You love. You _feel_. You took the first opportunity you got to tell Stefan about us. Not because you like to see him hurt, but because you love him and you think he deserves the truth. And afterwards you felt horrible about it. Can you imagine Katherine like that? She would've enjoyed every second of betraying Stefan. Hell, she _did_! She betrayed Stefan and she betrayed me and she didn't care. So you are _nothing _like her! You're sweet and gentle and loving. And yes, you have an edge to you that sometimes makes you bitchy and on occasion a little manipulative, but that's only human, Elena. And frankly, I love that about you. You don't just let people walk all over you. That's a good thing." He told her. "And yes, you fell for both of the Salvatore brothers _just_ like Katherine, but hey, you and pretty much the entire female population of this town. It's not your fault we're this irresistible. And for the record: it's not our fault either. Just good genes."

Naturally, he smirked his way through the last part of the speech, causing Elena to chuckle a little as she looked down for a second before meeting his gaze again.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"You need to stop thinking those ridiculous things. If you were anything like that maniacal bitch I would have to kill you. Just the thought of two Katherines in this world gives me a headache. The one has already done enough damage, don't you think?"

She nodded slowly, before leaning over and resting her head on his chest. Damon sighed, before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer.

"Now I know how to get to you when we get into a fight though." He continued, the smirk plastered on his face, but Elena didn't see it. "I'll just compare you to Katherine. It's going to immediately end every single argument we'll ever get in. It's kind of brilliant."

Elena hit him on the chest and raised her head to face him, her eyes big. "Don't you dare! And you won't get the opportunity. We're never going to fight."

"Never?" Damon asked skeptically.

"Never." Elena decided.

"Sure. We can barely get through a conversation without disagreeing on something, but we're never going to get into a fight. Ever. Makes sense."

"So you're already assuming we're going to be fighting a lot?" She asked, sitting up a little more.

"Who said 'a lot'? I didn't say that. But we're bound to get into a fight at some point! It's only realistic."

"Why are you already thinking about future fights we're going to get in? How's that healthy?"

"You're twisting my words around!" Damon objected. "I never said it was healthy, I said it was realistic. I'm not going to pretend we're in some Stepford Wife perfect relationship! Couples fight! Even I know that!"

"But already assuming we're going to be fighting is like a self-fulfilling prophecy, don't you think? Can't you just assume that our fights are going to be rare?"

"That's what I've been telling you this entire time!" Damon exclaimed, raising his hands. "God, you sound_ just_ like Katherine right now."

The smirk immediately appeared on his face as he gave Elena a triumphant look that she immediately got as she started to repeatedly hit him on the chest.

"See? Immediately ended the argument!" He stated proudly. "It leaves you speechless and unable to object!"

"You're an evil, evil man!" She told him.

"Well, yeah." Damon agreed, laughing as he took her arms to stop her from hitting him and pulled her closer again. "You already know _that_."

"You got one free pass and you just used it." She warned him as she allowed him to pull her back onto his lap. "Compare me to Katherine again and we're so done!"

"And after the first argument of our relationship, the first_ threat_ is now also a fact!" Damon announced, smiling. "And I wasn't even the one doing the threatening! My personal growth is scaring me right now."

Elena looked at him for a second. "You annoy me, but I love you." She pouted.

Damon returned the look, a serious expression on his face again. "I hope you won't regret it."

"Not a chance." She assured him, leaning in and gently kissing him.

Just then the doorbell rang.

"Dinner's here!" Jenna's voice echoed through the house.

The twosome on the couch looked at each other. Then all of sudden Elena found herself on her feet, Damon standing next to her, holding her hand. He looked down at her.

"Here goes nothing." He murmured.

Elena smiled. Then Damon guided her towards the kitchen.

"You're adorable." She whispered.

"That's it. I'm biting you after dinner." Damon replied, giving her a stern look.

"Promise?" She teased.

Damon chuckled.

"Best girlfriend ever." He told himself, shaking his head.

"And don't you forget it." Elena nodded.

Damon lightly squeezed her hand as the twosome entered the kitchen. Jenna just entered from the other side, holding two paper bags, almost dropping them at the sight of Damon and Elena holding hands. Damon immediately stepped in.

"Let me help you with that." He offered, smirking.

Jenna was too stunned to object as she willingly handed the bags over to Damon, her gaze focused on Elena, then moving back to Damon.

"Did I just see you two holding hands?"

Elena took a deep breath, burying her hands in her jeans pockets as she looked at her aunt and smiled. "Yeah. Damon and I kind of have something to tell you."

Damon looked at Elena. "Oh yeah. That's the _perfect _dinner conversation."

"I need a drink." Jenna announced, already knowing what was coming as she dropped herself on a stool at the counter.

"You and me both." He assured her.

"Here goes nothing." Elena muttered just like Damon only minutes before as she walked over to her aunt. "Okay. So here's the thing…"

Damon shook his head as he placed the bags of Chinese food on the counter and listened to the words coming out of Elena's mouth. What did he ever do to deserve her? She was diving into this head first, something that had seemed impossible even in his wildest dreams. And it terrified him, yet there was a huge grin on his face that wouldn't go away even if he tried. God, she was right. He _was_ adorable. That girl was going to be the death of him. The death of his undead life. Just like Katherine had been the death of his human life. Looked like the two had one thing in common after all. He was going to have to remember that for the next argument they'd get in.

"What am I getting myself into?" He whispered, inaudible to the others in the kitchen.

He meant it. And the worst part: he was loving every second it. Damn her.

**THE END**

-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: Okay, I emphasized the whole 'The End'-thing. Just because this truly and most definitely is THE END. Sorry. Hope you enjoyed this and felt it actually added something to the story of 'Lockdown'. Please let me know. ;-)**** I thought it'd be nice to add a little something from Damon's POV in the end, because I've rarely done that in 'Lockdown'. And once again: thanks for reading. You're all truly amazing!**

**Stef**


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